title: EGF and TGF-alpha, the ligands of hyperproduced EGFR in human esophageal carcinoma cells, act as autocrine growth factors.
abstract: In order to ascertain autocrine growth factors in esophageal carcinomas, we analysed expression of mRNAs and proteins for epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in 6 esophageal carcinoma cell lines. Gene alterations were also examined. All of the esophageal carcinoma cell lines expressed mRNA for EGFR and TGF-alpha genes. Interestingly, EGF mRNA of about 5.0 kb was also detected in TE-1, TE-2, and TE-8 cells. Production of protein was also confirmed by binding assay and ELISA on 3 of the 6 cell lines. The cells had a relatively high number of EGFRs and produced TGF-alpha and EGF protein at the same time. Furthermore, anti-EGF (KEM-10) and anti-TGF-alpha (WA-3) monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) inhibited spontaneous uptake of tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) by TE-1 cells which expressed EGF, TGF-alpha and EGFR mRNA and protein. These results strongly suggest that EGF and/or TGF-alpha produced by carcinoma cells function as autocrine growth factors for human esophageal carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Hiroshima University School of Medicine,Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kyo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsujino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niimoto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tahara
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D066246:ErbB Receptors